Transcript Document

FMCSA Programs and
Initiatives Update
Pamela Pelcovits
Office Director for Policy and Program Development
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
June 7, 2010
Administrator Ferro’s Core Priorities
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Raise the safety bar to enter the industry;
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Require operators to maintain high safety standards
to remain in the industry; and
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Remove high-risk operators from our roads and
highways.
Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA) 2010
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FMCSA’s new enforcement business model
Separate the safety fitness determination process
from the comprehensive on-site CR
Assess the safety performance of a larger population
of carriers than the current CR approach, based on
data
Achieve a greater reduction in large truck and bus
crashes, fatalities and injuries
Four Major Elements of CSA 2010
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Measurement (inspection, investigation and crash
data) – Replace SafeStat with Carrier Safety
Measurement System (CSMS)
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Interventions
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Safety Fitness Determination
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Information Technology
CSA 2010 - BASICS
FMCSA will monitor 7 key behaviors linked to
CMV crash risks:
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Unsafe Driving
Fatigued Driving
Driver Fitness which includes licensing and medical
compliance standards
Crash History
Vehicle Maintenance
Improper Loading and Cargo
Controlled Substances - Drugs and Alcohol
CSA 2010 Timeline
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Carrier preview of violation data (April 2010)
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Carrier preview of preliminary BASIC scores, CSMS (later
this year)
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Use of new CSMS for new interventions (later this year)
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Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to request public
comment on the new Safety Fitness Determination (SFD)
methodology (late 2010)
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Final Rule to implement new SFD in 2011, pending review
of public comments to NPRM
STRATEGIC PLANNING
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Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee
(MCSAC)
- New Members
- Considering Distracted Driving This Week
DOT Draft Strategic Plan
- Review on DOT website
- Comment by June 15
FMCSA Strategic Plan
- Comment Opportunity Planned for this Summer
Electronic On-Board Recorders (EOBRs)
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April 5, 2010 – Final Rule on EOBRs
Remedial Directive Provision - requires use of
EOBRs for carriers with a 10% or greater HOS
violation rate, based on a single compliance review:
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Must use EOBRs for 2 years
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Failure to comply will result in “unfit” determination
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Approximately 2,850 carriers would be issued a directive
each year; 5,700 carriers would be operating under a
directive each year, after the first full year the rule is in
effect.
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Implementation Date: June 2012
EOBRs (Cont.)
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The April 2010 final rule provides 2 incentives to
promote the voluntary use of EOBRs:
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Relief from HOS supporting documents used to verify onduty, driving time (all other supporting documents would
still be required);
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Alternative method for driver HOS records sampling
during a compliance review— random sampling instead
of focused sample.
The Agency will begin a new EOBR rulemaking by
the end of 2010 to expand the mandate to a broader
population of carriers.
Hours of Service
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October 2009 – Settlement agreement between
FMCSA and safety advocates to initiate a new HOS
rulemaking:
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Submit NPRM to the Office of Management and Budget
by July 26, 2010
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Publish Final Rule by July 26, 2011
December 2009, February 2010 – Motor Carrier
Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC) ideas and
concepts
January 2010, March 2010 – Listening Sessions
NPRM is currently under Agency review,
publication later this year.
Distracted Driving
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FMCSA Research - “Driver Distraction in
Commercial Vehicle Operations,” October 1, 2009.
Study investigated the prevalence of driver
distraction in safety-critical events (crashes, near
crashes, lane departures)
Data on 200 drivers, 3 million miles of driving
Texting was the most risky behavior; 23.2 times
more likely to be involved in a safety-critical event.
Texting Drivers’ eyes were off the road for 4.6
seconds during the 6-second interval before the
event.
Distracting Activities
Task
Odds Ratio
Text message on cell phone
23.24
Other- complex (e.g., cleaning side mirror
rummaging through a bag, etc.)
10.07
Interact with/look at dispatching device
9.93
Write on pad, notebook, etc.
8.98
Use a calculator
8.21
Look at a map
Dial a cell phone
7.02
5.93
FMCSA’s Texting Regulatory Guidance
• January 26, 2010, the Secretary and FMCSA
Administrator announced regulatory guidance
concerning texting by truck and bus drivers
• Guidance is based on current regulation (Section
390.17)
• “Texting” is the review of, or preparation and
transmission of, typed messages on an electronic
device
• Includes engaging in any form of electronic data
retrieval or electronic data communication
• Federal civil penalties for violations of Section
390.17 may be up to $2,750
FMCSA’s Texting Rulemaking
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Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to
explicitly prohibit texting by interstate truck and bus
drivers was published on April 1, 2010
Public comment period ended on May 3, 2010
The rule includes:
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Driver disqualification penalties (60 days for 2nd offense
within 3 years; 120 days for 3 or more offenses within 3
years)
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CDL disqualification penalties (violations of State traffic
laws concerning texting)
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Civil penalty of up to $2,750
Medical Standards
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Medical Review Board, active since 2006
Merger of Medical Certification and CDL
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Published final rule in December 2008;
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Compliance dates: 2012 for State licensing agencies; 2014
for CDL holder
National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners;
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Establish minimum training and testing of healthcare
professionals who issue medical cards.
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NPRM was published December 2008, Final Rule will be
issued in late 2010.
Initiate series of rulemakings to update medical
standards, 2010-2011 (such as diabetes, vision,
cardiovascular)
Onboard Safety Systems
1 Forward Collision
Warning System
(with Adaptive Cruise
Control)
2 Lane Departure
2
Warning System
1
3
3 Roll Stability
Control System
Adaptive Cruise Control
 Uses data from forward collision warning system
 Works to maintain separation of 2¼ - 3¼ seconds
behind followed vehicle
 Decelerates the vehicle by:
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Defueling the engine
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Engaging the engine retarder
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Allowing an automated transmission to downshift
(if equipped)
Forward Collision Warning Systems
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Crashes Preventable by Forward
Collision Warning Systems
~9,000 – 18,000 rear-end crashes/year
Lane Departure Warning Systems
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Camera watches road ahead – not driver
Tracks road and vehicle position in lane
Monitors for weaving and lane drifts
Alerts driver before lane departure
Blocks warnings automatically if:
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Turn signal is used
Speed is less than ~35 mph
Lane Departure Warning Systems
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Crashes Preventable by Lane
Departure Warning Systems
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~4,000 - 8,000 crashes/year where the truck
runs off the road or inadvertently travels over
the lane line
Roll Stability Control Systems
Sensors monitor vehicle dynamics
(e.g., velocity)
 Software estimates instability of a large
truck based on
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Mass
Velocity
If instability threshold reached, software
sends signals to decelerate vehicle by
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Reducing vehicle throttle
Applying brakes
Roll Stability Control Systems
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Crashes Preventable by Roll Stability
Control Systems
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Primarily rollovers of combination trucks on a curve
~1,000 - 2,000 rollovers/year due to excessive speed
in a curve
Questions
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FMCSA’s main web site: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov
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CSA 2010 web site: http://csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov/
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Participation in rulemakings (submitting comments):
http://www.regulations.gov
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Distracted driving information:
http://www.distraction.gov/